Is It Love?
by ADHD-Kid2811
Summary: This is an AU story. No gods, no monsters and no hurry. Percy and Annabeth, they fall in love, but can't be together. That's all I'll say. Percabeth. 'T' for language.
1. Chapter 1: Stranger

CH 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is an AU story. That means no Greek gods, no monsters and no hurry. Annabeth and Percy's relation can go smoothly in this world, or can it? Well, we'll see.**

**Anyways, let's begin the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth's POV<strong>

I was walking down a street, not knowing where I was headed. The night was dark which made it hard to see clearly, and the tears rolling down my eyes made it even harder. I was heartbroken by what I'd just seen. Luke had been making out with some girl in his bed. I was devastated. I had nothing left. So I ran away from there, unable to take in the sight. I never thought he'd cheat on me, but I had been wrong. I kept walking with tears stinging my eyes, the scenes I had just witnessed playing over and over in my mind.

Suddenly, I was blinded by two bright lights coming my way, a car honking loudly. _Death_, I thought peacefully. I welcomed it. I wanted it to embrace me, swallow me in. It would be better than the harsh reality I'd have to live with. And so, I kept walking, not wavering from my path, the car coming closer every moment. I closed my eyes, ready for it, but something crashed into me, and I was knocked aside just before the car could squash me to death.

"Hey, what the heck were you doing?" It was a guy. "Trying to get yourself killed?"

I couldn't see clearly due to the tears, and also due to my sudden hit on the head as I fell. My eyesight started blurring, and as I passed out, my last sight was the concerned face of that boy who had saved my life.

I woke up to find myself lying in a comfortable bed, and noticed that it was morning. Bright light flooded inside from the window, washing over the pale blue walls. A familiar looking person was dozing in a chair beside me, but I couldn't quite recognize him. He was curled up in a ball, his head resting on his knees. All of a sudden, my memory came back to me, and I remembered what had happened the previous night. That guy, he had saved my life. I tried to get up, but pain shot through my head, making me cry, "Ow!"

He stirred at the sound, and lifted his head up, rubbing his eyes. I was momentarily startled by the color of his eyes- sea green- when he opened them and looked at me, bleary eyed.

"Oh, hey, you're up." He croaked in a sleepy voice, getting up from his chair, still rubbing his eyes with the knuckles of his right hand. "I'll be back with breakfast."

"Wait, where am I?"

"Huh?" He was still sleepy.

"I asked, what is this place?" I said each word clearly and slowly, as if asking a toddler the reason why he stole his friend's candy.

"My bedroom, I guess?"

_What?_ I couldn't believe it. _The nerve of this guy!_ "What the hell am I doing in your bedroom?"

"Uh… you were-" I cut him off in mid-sentence.

"Oh, I know. I know all about guys like you who stalk girls in the night and then kidnap them. You thought I was helpless, and it was a good opportunity, didn't you?" My volume was increasing as I searched for my phone, getting off the bed. "Well, you're wrong! I'm NOT helpless and I'm going to call the cops, and then you'll-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "I was just trying to help! I am no stalker, and I know you're not helpless. You're a modern twenty-first century girl and all. If you want to leave, fine. I'll drop you home right away. But for Zeus' sake, stop making wild accusations!" He said all that in one breath.

I softened up a bit and glared at him for a while in silence. I thought about what had just happened and felt embarrassed.

"So," he said, breaking the awkward silence. "Uh… d'you want breakfast? Or should I just, y'know…?"

"Breakfast would be nice," I said in a small voice. My stomach rumbled, but thankfully, he didn't hear it. He just smiled, and it dazzled me. It wasn't a perfect smile, a bit lopsided, but it was amazing.

"Stay here, I'll be back in five minutes." He dashed out of the room.

I mentally scolded myself for freaking out. It was stupid. As I sat alone in the room, my thoughts drifted away to the events of the previous day. The images of Luke making out with that unknown girl flashed in my mind again, and tears swam into my eyes. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying, but my eyes landed on the bracelet Luke had given me, and I couldn't control myself anymore. I lay back and started crying, sobbing uncontrollably.

I heard footsteps and looked up to see that guy entering the room with a tray in his hands, sandwiches and two cups on it, smiling. When he saw me, his face morphed into shock. Quickly putting the tray aside on a table, he ran to my side. "Hey what happened?"

I just cried. Generally, I was not a crier, but this time, I just couldn't take it. It was too much for me. I curled up in fetal position, buried my head in my knees, and cried harder. No one could help me. "Just leave me alone."

He hesitated for a second, but probably decided he couldn't do anything. "Okay," he said quietly. He went to the table, picked up the tray and put it on the bedside stand, while I looked up momentarily. "When you feel like eating, the tray's right here." He took his cup and started towards the door. "If you need anything, um… I'm in the lobby."

It took me a long time to get a grip on myself, but finally, I stopped crying. Putting the breakfast tray in my lap, I started munching on the sandwiches, drinking the milk afterwards. I tried to concentrate on other things. My family, gods, they'd be worried like hell! I quickly got up and left the room, my head still hurting, but not as much as last night. That guy was sitting on the couch, watching _Dexter's Laboratory _in mute mode. I cleared my throat so that he'd acknowledge my presence.

He turned around to look at me. "You Okay now?"

"Yeah." I said, looking down.

"I should drop you home, then." He stood up. I don't know why, but something inside me felt bad about leaving. I know, weird.

He took the keys and we left the building. We made our way toward a black Lamborghini Spyder and he unlocked it, which made me wonder why he was living in such a small apartment if he was rich enough to own that thing. I sat in the comfortable shotgun seat, admiring the interiors. As he put his hands on the steering wheel, I noticed scratches and wounds on the back of his hand. It looked as if the skin had been rubbed with a very rough sandpaper or something even worse.

"What happened to your hand?" I asked, pointing at his hand.

"Oh, that's nothing." He waved his hand like it was not a big deal. Then I remembered. When he had pushed me off the car's way, he had put his hand behind my head to prevent it from hitting the sidewalk. I felt grateful. If he hadn't done that, I would've had a major head injury.

"So, where to?" he asked.

"Puddyfoot street, Crown Heights."

"Brooklyn," he said with a smile.

We drove in silence for a while. Then he spoke up. "You know, that was pretty extreme, what you were trying to do last night. I know life can be hard sometimes, but suicide is no solution."

I lowered my head sheepishly.

"Why were you doing it anyways?" he asked casually.

I looked up at him angrily. "That's none of your business."

"Oh," he said, surprised by my tone. "Yeah, right."

Silence again.

"Look, I'm sorry," I said, finally breaking the silence. "I didn't mean to be rude, but it's something personal."

"Sure, no problem." He didn't look at me again, and we drove quietly. I tried to imagine what my parents would say. Dad would be very worried, Vienna- my step Mom- would be _mad_, and my brothers- stepbrothers actually, but I never mention it- would tease me to death.

"Where to now?" I was jerked out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I said absent-mindedly. "Uh… take the next left."

He kept following my directions until we stopped in front of our house. We parked in the driveway, and I saw Bobby and Mathew playing in the garden. When they saw me, they were confused, but then they looked at the driver seat, and twin evil smiles appeared on their lips.

"Mom," they both yelled. "Annabeth's back home."

My Dad and Vienna came out of the house in a matter of seconds. I got out of the car, glared at my brothers, and moved towards my parents. The guy put the car in reverse and he had pulled out barely a couple meters when my Dad called, "Oh no, young man. You don't." He stopped the car. "Come here."

I got nervous about what would happen. I was sure that by that time, all of them would be wildly inventing things in their minds. I'd kill Bobby and Mathew as soon as I get the chance.

He stepped out of the car and walked up to my father. That was the first time I looked at him properly. He was tall and had a strong build; was probably around sixteen, just like me; had an enviable tan, messy black hair, and startling sea green eyes. He was, in all senses, what those stupid cheerleaders would call 'hot'.

"Now, will anybody explain to me what in the name of Christ happened?" asked Dad loudly. "Where have you been all night?"

None of us spoke. He looked at me for an answer, and I just squared my shoulders.

"Uh… your daughter here," he said cautiously. "Well, um- she fainted on the road last night. So, ah- I took her to my apartment as no one was around to help."

I looked at him surprisedly. He hadn't mentioned what I had tried to do the previous night, and I was very grateful for that.

"What?" My Dad had a look of complete shock on his face.

"Dad," I started to say. "It's not-"

"Let me get this straight," he grumbled angrily. "You are telling me that you spent a night with this _stranger_?"

"Not with him, Dad," I said defensively. "Just at his apartment. And besides, it's not my fault. I was unconscious, remember?"

I shouldn't have said that, because then he turned to face the poor guy, his expression unreadable. The guy looked unsure about what was about to come, but not at all scared. My father glared at him, but he didn't back down, just stared back calmly. And the next moment, Dad was hugging him.

"Thank you, son! Thank you for saving my daughter," Dad said thankfully. "Who knows what could've happened, had you not found her."

He was caught off guard for a second, looking utterly surprised by my father's reaction. I couldn't blame him. I was shocked, too. When Dad let go of him, he said, "No problem, sir. It was my duty."

They shook hands and he turned to leave.

"Wait," said Vienna. "We can't just let you drive away like that, now can we? You should stay for breakfast, dear."

"Yes," agreed my father cheerfully. "That's a good idea."

"Oh, that's very kind of you, ma'am." He smiled. "Thank you, but we've already taken breakfast. So, I must me leaving."

He turned around and walked back to his car, turning back on his way to say, "And don't faint like that in the middle of the street again."

He sat in his car, and all of my family waved at him. Vienna called, "Make sure you drop by for a meal next time, dear." He just smiled and drove off.

With a jolt, I remembered something. I hadn't even thanked him! I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn't even say a 'thank you'. It was really embarrassing.

"Annabeth, let's go inside." My Dad went inside the house. I stared at the empty space where that guy had been standing just seconds ago. I turned around and went inside, sighing. How would I ever thank that boy who'd saved my life?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, here it is. Tell me what you think. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2: Starting Afresh

CH 2

**A/N: Hey there. 3 months! Has it really been this long? Heh! Anyways, here's your chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own PjatO!**

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth's POV<strong>

I was crying again, curled up on my bed. That's all I had seemed to be able to do for the last four days. I was sick of it; I was tired of crying, but I just _couldn't_ stop the teardrops flowing down my cheeks. The memories of Luke, his face, the time that we spent together, the way he cheated on me, all those memories- I just couldn't get those horrifying images out of my head!

"What's wrong, sweety?" Dad asked, entering my room. I didn't respond, or rather I couldn't. words seemed to be stuck in my throat, and all that escaped it were sobs. I hated myself for being like this.

_Since when did you become so vulnerable, Annabeth? _I asked myself. _You built up all these defenses, you built up an image, a reputation, so that nothing could hurt you. You were always this tough girl who never displayed any strong emotions whatsoever. Then why? Why now?just because of some guy, some stupid guy, who turned out to be no different than any other stupid jerk?_ I hated myself for letting that one person become such an important part of my life, so much important that I couldn't stand his betrayal.

"Annabeth." I looked up because of the sudden change of tone. He looked very worried. "You didn't do _that_, did you?"

I didn't understand what he was getting at.

"No!" Dad shouted all of a sudden. "You did it with that stranger guy! You slept with him!"

Wait, _what_? This shook me out of my stupor. "Dad-?"

"And now you're pregnant!" he kept on ranting.

"Listen, Dad." I tried to talk.

"And now you're crying because you're worried about what we'll do. Gods, I knew it! I should've been more careful!"

"Dad!" I yelled, but to no avail.

"This is all _my_ fault!" He howled dramatically.

"It's not that, Dad!" I shouted as loudly as I could.

He looked at me stupidly. "It's not?"

"No, it isn't." I said calmly. "Now get a grip and stop acting like it's some cheesy movie!"

He looked confused, but a bit happy at the same time. "Then why are you crying? It's been four freakin' days and we're worried sick!"

"It's nothing." I buried my head in my knees again, trying not to cry again. Dad sat by my side and wrapped an arm around me.

"Annabeth, whatever it is, you can tell me," he said softly. "I can't see my baby girl like this."

After a few seconds of silence, I pulled myself together and finally managed to get out, "It's Luke." And then I broke into fresh sobs again. "H-h-he… he ch-cheated me!"

"Oh dear, that's sad." He hugged me, patting my back. "But I always told you that guy's not good. You're better off without him."

That didn't help. "I-I don't know." I wept.

"Come on, Annabeth. You can't be like this forever," he said calmly. "Your new school awaits you. You've got to get over him. Tomorrow, you start a new life, as a new person, 'kay?"

I nodded silently, and he left. Pondering over what my father had just said, I decided that it was time to start afresh. I took a bath, in the hopes of washing away Luke's memories, and went to sleep.

_Tomorrow, you start a new life, as a new person. Got it, Annabeth? _Got it.

* * *

><p>I woke up to my alarm clock ringing, yawned, and went to take a bath without any delay.<p>

_First day of school._

After a quick bath, I put on my favorite denim shorts and orange top, took breakfast, and left for school pronto with Dad in his car. As Goode High came into view, I studied the huge building, one of my hobbies. I'm really into architecture, you know.

The car came to a halt. I stepped out, stood at the gate for a moment, looking at the structure before me once again, and then made my way inside with many other people. "Bye Dad."

I guess I should've been excited. After all, it was my first day as a sophomore. But I wasn't, not at all. So I kept my head low and headed to the office to get my schedule and locker. As I came out, I saw two girls passing in the corridor. One had long black hair while the other one had short brown hair. The one with the brown hair was talking excitedly, "OMG, can you belive it? It's our sophomore year and he's still single! I'm so gonna ask him out today."

_Sophomore. So they can help me find my homeroom_, I thought, and followed behind them. The black haired girl just shook her head and said, "Can't you see he's not _interested_? The last two times you asked him out, he told you off right away."

"But this time he's definitely going to say 'yes', I know it."

"Well, goodluck with that, though I doubt he will. Almost every girl in high school has asked him out but he just _doesn't _seem interested. I wonder if he'll ever date someone."

"Excuse me?" I tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around.

"New admission?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm looking for my homeroom, room number twenty eight."

"Oh, that's our room." She smiled, showing her dazzling teeth. "I'm Silena Beauregard and this is Caitlyn Summers. Come with us."

I followed them and tried to start a small conversation. "So, who's this Percy guy?"

"Why're you asking?" Caitlyn eyed me suspiciously.

"Just, uh- general awareness, you know. Not that I'm interested or anything."

"That's good," she mumbled.

Silena just smiled and said, "You'll see."

I sat in the back, since there were no front seats left. It was my least favorite seat, but oh well… After the attendance and introductions, we filed out of the room, and I noticed a tall guy in the front wearing a maroon hoodie and faded denims. His hood was off and it seemed like the girls were following him. I headed to the first class, Physics.

_I guess people here at Goode High are really obsessed with this Percy Jackson_, I thought while going to the cafeteria during the lunch break. Three jocks were in front of me, talking about the upcoming game.

"This season is going to be tough, man."

" I heard the Yancy's got a strong quarterback this time around," the other one agreed.

"No worries people!" The tallest one among them said in a carefree tone. "We'll kick butt. As long as we have Percy, we can pull it off easy."

_Enough already_, I though angrily. It seemed like the only person everyone could think about was Percy. _Just who _is _this Percy guy?_

It had only been four classes of my first day, and my head was already filled with 'A Thousand Reasons To Love Percy Jackson'. Ugh! Girls were crazy for him, even the guys kept talking about him now and then. I just _had_ to meet this guy.

I went to sit with the only people I knew here, Silena and Caitlyn. Silena looked happy with that. She smiled as I sat by her side. She was built like a supermodel, had a pretty face, and to top it off, her dressing sense was unique. She was friendly and had a warm personality. The only problem with her was that she was way deep into cosmetics and fashion magazines. Well, nobody's perfect. But she was turning out to be a nice person altogether. I wish I could say the same about Caitlyn. She was moody, impatient and really liked to show off. I wondered how Silena put up with her.

I was the last person to leave class after the school was over. I was heading for the main gate, my head hung low. It had been a fine day so far. I had gained a good reputation among the teachers, I had made new friends- well, kinda- and I wasn't stuck in an embarrasing situation. So it was a fine first day.

"Look out!"

I looked up just in time to see a ball coming at my face with blinding speed and before I could react-

THUMP! A hand appeared in front of my eyes. I heard a few gasps. It had caught the ball just before the impact. MY heartbeat which had jumped a few milliseconds ago started coming back to normal. I looked at my saviour. It was the same hooded guy from this morning.

"Hey, Drake!" He shouted. I looked in that direction to see a bunch of guys standing by a tree. "You clearly need practice. You're off the team for the next two games."

And he threw the ball back at them. It him someone square in the face and he fell backward, cluching his nose. This voice, it sounded familiar. But why? Where had I heard it before? Before I could get carried away in my thoughts, the hooded guy started walking away.

_Wait!_ I ran after him. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" He turned around, and when I saw his face, I was shocked. It was the same boy who had saved me that day!

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you go! Review!**


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting For The Second Time

CH 3

**A/N: So here's another chapter. It took me really long to update, I guess. I'm busy. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: PJatO belongs to Rick!**

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth's POV<strong>

"Oh, hey." He looked mildly surprised. But me? I was lost for words, the first time in my life. I had never thought that I'd come across him again, not in a situation like _this_ at least.

Suddenly I remembered something. "Uh… I forgot to thank you last time. So, thanks?"

I don't know why it sounded like a question, but he just smiled and said, "You're welcome. So, freshman, huh?"

"Nope, sophomore." We started walking slowly.

"Yeah? Me, too." He said happily.

"I know," I said. "I noticed you in our homeroom."

"Naw, really?" He said in a childish manner. "Anyways, how was your first day at Goode High?"

"It was Okay. This seems to be a nice school."

"It is," he said proudly. "It's one of the best schools in Downtown Brooklyn. So, did you make any new friends?"

"Mmm," I nodded. "There's this girl, Silena-"

"Great," he muttered.

"Hmm?" I turned to look at him. "What's wrong with her?"

"Oh, nothing." He faked a smile, which made my suspicions even worse. "Absolutely nothing."

We stopped in front of a black Nissan GTR and he unlocked it. _Why the heck does he live in such a small apartment?_ I wondered yet again, staring at his amazing ride.

"Come on," he said, pulling me out of my stupor. "I'll drop you home."

"What? No," I said a bit too loudly, being a bit surprised, but then quickly recovered. "I'm fine. My dad will be here anytime now."

The moment I said it, my phone rang. It was dad. "Hey, sweetie."

"Hey, Dad."

"How was your first day?" he asked cheerfully. "Made any new friends?"

"It was good," I replied. "Yeah, I made a few friends."

"Great," he said quickly. "I have some urgent matter to attend. Can you ask someone to drop you home?"

I glanced at the lifesaver guy for a second. "Okay, Dad."

"Tell your friend I said 'thanks'. Bye!" he said happily.

"Bye, Dad." I hung up and looked at that guy. "I guess I'll be needing a ride home."

He beamed at me, and my heart paced for a second. Opening the door for me, he jerked his head to the side, gesturing toward the shotgun seat. "Get in."

And we drove off in his Nissan. We sat in silence for a while, but it wasn't the awkward silence from last time. It was a peaceful silence. Then something struck my mind. "Hey, how come you suspended that guy from the team for the next two games?"

"Well," he looked at me. I was in for another shock. "You see I'm the captain of the football team."

I was stunned. I stared at him with wide eyes for a few seconds, while he looked at me confusedly. "What's wrong?"

"You are Percy Jackson?" I asked slowly and carefully.

"Yeah?" he still looked puzzled.

"And you're dropping me home in your car?" _Get a grip Annabeth!_ A voice in the back of my mind yelled.

"Yeah," he looked me in the eyes this time. "So what?"

"N-nothing." I came to my senses. Realizing what I had just said, I blushed tomato red. I couldn't believe it. I was sitting beside the most popular guy in the school in his freaking car! From the looks of it, all the girls craved to even get him to _look_ at them. And there I was, sitting in his car and talking to him like we're old friends. Gods! If they got to know about it, they'd kill me.

I looked at him once again, closely this time. No wonder all the girls were after him. What with that cute smile of his? It wasn't a perfect smile, a bit lopsided, but adorable nonetheless. He had an enviable tan and an amazing physique. His messy black hair suited him well. And his eyes… his deep sea green eyes were the best feature. I had never seen eyes like that. They were gorgeous.

_Whoa! Slow down, Annabeth._ Yeah, I needed to control myself.

"So Percy," I started. "Um… I really wanted to ask you this the last time we met. How come you live in that tiny apartment if you're- y'know, uh- rich enough to own these amazing cars?"

His face fell suddenly, and he sighed. "My mom moved to Northeast Queens with my step-dad, Paul. But I didn't want to leave our old apartment. I grew up in that tiny apartment, you know. I just couldn't abandon it like that." He had a reminiscent gleam in his eyes. "As for these cars, they're a gift from Dad. He owns the Seascape Luxury Resorts. He thinks he can make it up to me for not being there during my childhood."

His tone was bitter. I hadn't expected that a simple question like that could tir so many emotions. I felt sorry for the guy.

"I'm sorry," I said in an undertone.

"Nah," he said, returning to his normal cheery self. "It's okay. Your question was valid. It's not your fault that my life's messed up."

"Hey, don't say that," I said warmly. "Nobody gets to live a perfect life. It's the little imperfections in our lives that make it interesting."

"Deep thoughts you got there." He chuckled. "You're right, I guess."

"Yeah well, take my case. My life sucks, I can complain, considering that I found my boyfriend of two years cheating on me. I spent the last four days crying, and then realized that what is done is done. There's no changing it. So I'm trying to get back on track and be happy." I don't know why I opened up with him so easily. I just felt like it.

"Whoa! You're going through a lot," he said, looking concerned. "So that's why you were all messed up the other day?"

I nodded miserably. Talking about it made me sad, but I had promised myself, I had taken a resolve. I wouldn't cry. Silence gripped us again, and we didn't talk for another few minutes.

"Um- Annabeth," he said, looking at me. "I don't really remember the way to your place."

"Oh" was all I could say. The sudden change of subject dazed me for a second. "Turn the second left."

"So what do you do in your free time?" I asked after a few awkward seconds, when he took the turn.

"Hmm," he said, thinking for a moment. "I hang out with my cousins sometimes. At times, I stay late after school to play some ball. Mostly, I'm in my apartment watching some TV program, or at the beach. If there's something I can't live without, it's the sea."

"Oh," I muttered. "Cool. Is there some special reason- turn right- why you like the sea so much?"

"Well, yeah, I guess." He smiled to himself, as if remembering some old memory. "My Mom told me that she met Dad at the beach, and that I was born on the day of a huge sea-storm. Or maybe it's just hereditary as my Dad loves the sea, too." He chortled. "Heh! Either way, I just love the sea: the waves, the smell of the salty breeze, the wet sand, everything."

Personally, I never liked the sea much. But I was amazed by the way he talked about the sea. It was like he shared some strange connection with it.

"What about you?" he asked. "What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"Well, I love to read." Reading always cheered me up. "Lock me up in a room full of books and I'll read them all without caring what happens outside." I said with a small laugh. "I love to study architecture, and swimming, too."

"Oh, hey! Me, too!" He said cheerfully. "I'm in the school's swim team."

"That's great." I smiled back.

"You wanna try out for the team?" He asked conversationally.

"I'm not really good at it," I told him. "It's just a leisure time activity."

"Yeah? Well, you'll get good at it in no time once we start hanging out," he said, flashing his amazing boyish grin.

I giggled. "Yeah, we'll see. Take right from that signboard."

We stopped in front of my house after about five minutes. I stepped out of the car, almost reluctant to leave the confortable seat.  
>"So, I'll see you later then," he said.<p>

"Um- yeah," I said awkwardly. Gods! What was happening to me?

"B'bye," he said, and drove off.

I kept my eyes on the speeding black car until it took a right turn and vanished, then turned around and went inside.

My first day at Goode High had turned out to be pretty good, far better than expected. And I had a feeling things were gonna get a lot better from that moment.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know it's too short, but this is all I have for now. Sorry :( Please stick with me, readers. I love y'all! Good day! :D**


End file.
